Circuit-breaker.



LLOYD E. HODGES, OF COVINiA, CALIFORNIA.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

Specification of Letters Ira tent.

Patented Mar.4,1913.

Application filed September 19, 1811. Serial 1W0. 650,160.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LLOYD E. Honens, a citizen of Canada, residing at Covina, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thermostatically operated circuit breakers used in connection with vulcanizing devices, and it -is an object of the invention to rovide a means for vulcanizing certain artlcles in which water may be raised to a proper temperature to accomplish the vulcanizing operation and yet not be permitted to become too hot for obtaining the desired results.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a vulcanizing device which is electrically heated, the said device being also provided with a mechanism for automatically breaking the circuit when the temperature of the heating medium becomes greater than is desired. I

It is also an object of the invention to provide a vulcanizing device which is electrically heated, the device being also provided with thermostatic means whereby the electrical current operating the heater will be broken when the temperature of the heating device reaches a certain degree. 1

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved vulcanizing mechanism forming the subject matter of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken longitudinally through the mechanism, some parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken upon the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. v

The details and features of the invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the drawing, in which 5 indicates a receptacle to contain the heating medium employed.

6 indicatesa resistance or other electrical heating device mounted within the receptacle 5, and 7 indicates a plunger or thrust rod which is automatically operated for controlling the current of electricity used, in raising the heating agent to the proper temperature.

The receptacle 5 is usually made in the form of a rectangular inclosure having a broad fiat upper surface as 8 upon which the materials to be vulcanized may be placed.

The heating medium usually and referably consists in water which is place within the receptacle 5. being introduced through an opening 9 which is normally closed by a plug 10. The resistance device 6 is mounted within the receptacle 5 and is rested upon insulating blocks or su ports 11 placed u on the bottom or. floor 0 the rece tacle. onductors 12 and 18 connected with the resistance device project through the end wallsof the receptacle 5 and are 'rovided at, these points with insulating bus ings as 14. The electric current employed isadapted to be made or broken through an armature 15 pivoted at 16 upon the bracket 17 which is mounted upon the outer end of one member of the thermostat device. The said thermostat device comprises an outer perforated tube-18 and an inner rod19, the said rod 19 carrying at one end the thrust rod or plunger 7. The tube 18 is enlarged at its outer end and a packing gland 4 is formed therein so as to make a tight joint along the movable plunger or thrust rod 7 and prevent the escape of water or steam.- The bracket 17 is insulated from the said tube 18 and is secured thereto by means of screws20 which are insulated from the said bracket as clearly shown-in Fig. 2. The tube '18 is perforated at frequent intervals along its length within the receptacle 5 and is made of one kind of material as steel and preferably such as is not rapidly expanded by the action of heat. The inner member of the thermostat, namely the rod 19 is placed within the walls of thetube 18 so as not to touch the same and be free to expand under the action of heat, the said rod being formed of material which is acted upon quickly and to a considerable degree by heat so as to expand and elongate to force the plunger 7 outwardly and move the armature 15. The inner end of the said rod 19 is secured to a screw block 21 which is screwed into the end of thetube 18. The

.said rod 19 thus has a fixed support and bearing at its inner end. The said rod 19 may be made of aluminum or other material which expands under the action of heat much more vrapidly than the steel of the tubing 18. The plunger 17 is arranged to strike a depending arm 22 formed upon the armature 15, so that when the said-plunger is forced outwardly through the expansion of the rod 19, thearmature will be rocked upon its pivot point for breaking the circuit.

The armature engages, for the purpose of completing a circuit, a screw contact 23 which is carried by a block or bar 24 fastened to the outer end of the said bracket 17. The connection between the said block or bar 24 and the bracket is thoroughly insulated to prevent short circuiting. The

upper end of the said screw contact 23 is a apted to be engaged by the outer free end of the armature 15 when the temperature of the vulcanizer has not been raised to too great an extent. The conductor 12 includes --great a degree within the receptacle 5, the

circuit'is completed through the resistance materials of the heater 6, conductor 13 and binding post, block 24, carrying said bind ing post, contact screw 23, armature 15, bracket 17, conductors 26 and thence to the source of energy employed from which the circuit is made through the conductor 12 back to the resistance material of the heater.

When the temperature within the receptacle 5 attains a certain degree, the expansion of the rod 19 will force the plunger 7 against the arm 22 of the armature 15 breaking the cont-act between the same and the securing.

contact 23. In this manner the heater is allowed to cool again until. the normal temperature for vulcanizing has been regained in the receptacle 5 when the said armature 15 will again complete the circuit through the heater.

In vulcanizing it is desirable to have a steady, even temperature usually not of a very high degree for too high a temperature will produce a poor result. The mechanism above described will automatically maintain the temperature of the vulcanizing device at an even heat, which it is found accomplishes the vulcanizing operation to the best advantage. If it is desired to use a higher temperature at any time the rod 19 may be adjusted inwardly so that it will require a greater quantity of heat than before, to elongate it' sufiicientto break an electric circuit. The adjustment of the rod is easily accomplished by removing the plug 10 from the receptacle and turning the plug 21 so that its threads will move it inwardly or outwardly as desired'for properly positioning the rod 19. It will also be understood that the same result may be attained by the v adjustment of the screw contact 23 so that it requires a greater or less movement of the plunger or thrust bar 7 to engage and lift the armature 15.

What I claim is 1. A thermostatically operated circuit breaker comprising a casing, a tube mounted within the casing, one end projecting 2. A thermostatically operated circuit breaker, comprising a vulcanizer casing, of a perforated tube projecting into said casin for the greater portion of its length, one en thereof extending a short distance outside the said casing, a bracket mounted on said tube but insulated therefrom a contact mounted on said bracket and insulated therefrom, conductors extending from the bracket and contact in series with and a source of electrical energy, a bell crank lever pivoted on said bracket, and in electrical contact therewith, an expansible rod extending into said tube and having one end projecting beyond the outer end thereof and adapted to engage said one arm of said bell crank, adjusting means carried by the inner end of the tube and adapted to form an adjustable abutment for said expansible rod, a packing surrounding the outer end of said expansible rod for preventing leakage from the casing, the structure being such that the expansion and contraction of the rod will operate the pivoted bell crank to make or break the ircuit. In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this day of Sept, 1911. r

' LLOYD E. HODGES.

WVitnesses:

EDMUND A. STRAUSE, Emma R. POLLARD. 

